In the early and mid 20th century, many of Scotland's larger rivers were dammed for hydroelectric power. Dams were built on salmon spawning rivers on the condition that water would be released intermittently through the summer months to simulate the natural variation in conditions. These releases unintentionally provide an opportunity for Scottish kayakers to get some action during the otherwise dry summer months on rivers like the Garry, Tummel, and Moriston. Unfortunately, many more rivers do not get releases and remain dry throughout the year—except for emergency releases during high rainfall and much rarer maintenance releases. Such releases occur when work is carried out on the pipes or turbines, and so rather than passing through the pipe, the water is allowed to flow naturally. These releases aren't announced, so catching…
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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2021